Delta Community Living Society | Newsletter4

A team from DCLS and CBI Consultants presented at the Inclusion BC conference in June, presenting Robbie’s story and the development and implementation of a Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) plan at his staffed residence. Staffed residence coordinator George Cook notes

“Robbie was involved from day one in setting up his behaviour support plan… he helped us write and videotape the house protocols that defined how we exchanged items with him, how we get in and out of the van and the recommended personal space when interacting with Robbie in the house”.

DCLS engaged in a partnership with CBI to train a small cohort of staff to learn how to create individualized PBS plans. In the initial class George, House 4 staff member Carmina Berin and acting community & residential services manager Lanette Vawter identified that Robbie could benefit from a plan, and worked with CBI Consultants senior behavior consultant Sherry Adam to discover why Robbie would occasionally and suddenly engage in aggressive behaviour. These outbursts would happen at seemingly random times to anybody he spent time with. A review of all of Robbie’s incident reports revealed that every single incident occurred when a staff member suddenly moved in close to him.

From this discovery, the team found that if people maintained

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Several dozen people convened at 11A staffed residence to celebrate Roy’s 60th birthday at the end of May. The event was attended by family, friends and staff from around DCLS.

Ladner Connections has enjoyed many excursions lately, including participating in Canada 150 events at Canada Place in Vancouver, and celebrating summer with a picnic on Centennial Beach in Tsawwassen.

Year four of LEAP is in full swing! In July, LEAPer Rebecca had the opportunity to get some work experience as a receptionist at the DCLS Resource Centre.

Around DCLS

DCLS hosted a retirement party for Wynn Konishi on July 26. “Wynn’s time was shared with many of our sites over the past 18 years; she began her first position as a CSW and moved on to be acting program coodinator at Cabeldu, then program coordinator at 11A and most recently the program coordinator at English Bluff staffed residence for the last 7 years. Wynn was always interested in Health and Safety with our agency, and represented her sites for several years on the JOHSC. DCLS staff and people will miss Wynn for her kindness and support as we see her retire this month, noted human resources manager Catherine McGuire”

Roy celebrates his birthday with younger brother Ricky

Lawrence, Jodi, Kevin and Namrata enjoy a visit to Deas IslandCARF Surveyors coming soon!

This fall, DCLS will welcome three auditors to our sites for three days to evaluate how well DCLS met international standards for quality. Auditors will review evidence and conduct interviews and site visits to measure more than 2,500 service performance indicators.

Rebecca takes over reception duties for a day at the DCLS resource centre

Contact UsDelta Community Living Society

Resource Centre

1 – 3800 – 72nd Street, Delta, BC V4K 3N2

telephone: 604.946.9508

fax: 604.940.9683

e-mail: dcls@dcls.ca | website: www.dcls.ca

Executive Director Anita Sihota: asihota@dcls.ca

Community Services Manager Tara Asquith (on leave)

Acting Community & Residential Services Manager Lanette Vawter: lvawter@dcls.ca

Employment Strategy Manager Annette Borrows: aborrows@dcls.ca

Family Services Manager Si Stainton: sstainton@dcls.ca

Finance Manager Alison Betts: abetts@dcls.ca

Fund Development & Communications Manager Martha Davis: mdavis@dcls.ca

Home Sharing Services Manager Chrisoula Jana: cjana@dcls.ca

Human Resources Manager Catherine McGuire: cmcguire@dcls.ca

Maintenance & Projects Manager Gord Jackson: gjackson@dcls.ca

Respite Services Manager Mari Jo Groenewold: mgroenewold@dcls.ca

Technology & Resource Manager Patti Ellis: pellis@dcls.ca

Board of DirectorsChair Paul Brooks

Vice-Chair Ralph Davis

Directors Don Boyle, Joel Gibson, Barb Helmer, Steven Mah, Brenda Nagata, Fran Regan, Wayne Stoilen, Jill Wallace

Donations allow DCLS to support life-enhancing and life-enriching programs, such as Recreation and LEAP, that fall outside the scope of government contracts.

www.dcls.ca/donate

Robbie featured at Inclusion BC Conference

Positive Behaviour Support plan creates a better home for Robbie and his roommates at House 4 staffed residence.

Robbie with his parents Brenda and Robert at the Inclusion BC conference

Robbie receives a certificate of recognition at the Inclusion BC conference, with Carmina, Brenda, Lanette, George and Sherry in the background

About Positive Behaviour Support (PBS)

PBS is an approach that blends values about the rights of people with and without disabilities with the practical science about how learning and behavior change occur. PBS is a set of research-based strategies used to increase quality of life and decrease problem behavior by teaching new skills and making changes in a person’s environment.

The foundation of PBS is based on the fact that behaviour is a method of communication. The first step of the approach ensures that the team gets to know the person’s story and history, and then focuses on proactive supports and strategies to support the person.

- CBI Consultants, Ltd.

Wynn with residents and staff from English Bluff

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about two arm’s length of space between Robbie and other people, Robbie felt much more comfortable.

Following the implementation of the arm’s length strategy and a few minor environmental changes to the furnishing and décor at the staffed residence, “Robbie really seemed to be invested in making the plan work for him and us. He became so comfortable he would tell me when a staff was not following the protocol properly and ask me to talk to them. Since doing the training and setting up the behaviour support plan the biggest change is how much more relaxed and happy Robbie seems to be. He is more comfortable approaching staff and talking about what is bothering him. Robbie has gone from having critical incidents every couple of months to having none over the last ten months”, adds George.

At the Inclusion BC Conference, Robbie took part in the presentation along with members of the House 4 staffed residence team, Lanette, Sherry and Robbie’s mom Brenda. The conference session was well attended, with over 50 people in the room to hear about the effect of the PBS plan, and to ask questions about how to do it in their own agencies and homes.

“Lanette, George, and Carmina were dedicated to the process of PBS and excited to implement the strategies in conjunction with Robbie. I have no doubt that the high level of success experienced by Robbie and his team is due in part to their enthusiasm and commitment to the PBS process. Seeing Robbie's plan unfold and being part of his journey has been an amazing experience for me and I'm excited to continue working with the team at DCLS to keep providing great outcomes for individuals and their overall quality of life,” notes Sherry.

Cook adds “the CBI partnership has been amazing for my team and me. We are working on our third behavioural support plan now and I could go on and on about how helpful they have been.

DCLS Family Picnic Annual event attracts a crowdAbout 300 people attended the annual DCLS Family Picnic July 14th. Held under sunny skies, the event included a Canada 150 theme, musical entertainment by Anthony P and a visit from Korki the Clown. Catering was provided by community partner TOOBs, and the event featured a roster of picnic events, including face painting, art by Evelyn at Studio 19 and games like hot potato. The event presented the opportunity to hand out the Tony Schmand Memorial Awards and the new Janice Womersley Friendship Award.

DCLS life skills program has a reach far beyond the curriculum that is taught. The program develops relationships and comradery among the participants. Laughter often fills the room between the scheduled activities and lessons. The program includes “soft skills” in addition to more traditional educational curriculum.

Both instructors, Leah Lalande in Ladner, and Jana McGuire in North Delta bring great credentials and experience to their positions. Lalande used to work for DCLS as a CSW in the nineties, and then took a position with New Westminster school district, where she has worked for 17 years. “I did shifts at sites throughout DCLS, and I have enjoyed reconnecting with the people I knew back then”. McGuire, who also works for New Westminster School District, started as a Life Skills instructor in September 2016, and has quickly developed learning approaches customized for each participant in the class and a warm rapport with the people supported.

“At the beginning of the year, we talk about what topics interest people the most, and this year Christine and Richard both chose money skills as a key theme,” notes McGuire.

In exploring the money skills theme, there were different lessons throughout the month, including a trip to Tim Hortons one night to work though money transaction skills, identifying bills and coins, and practicing making correct change in the classroom.

Eliza Lee has found a unique way to give back by knitting and donating baby caps and booties to the Richmond General Hospital. “It takes a about a day to make each set,” Lee notes. Lee donates her knitted works to the hospital’s maternity ward “about once a month. I have been doing this for maybe a couple of years”. The sets are given by hospital staff to families with newborns at the ward.

Recently, when Lee visited the ward, the staff were eagerly anticipating her arrival. Staff member Dr. Brenda Wagner asked Lee if she might be willing to donate an additional 20 sets of booties and bonnets to be sold at the hospital as a fundraiser. Wagner periodically donates her

own time in support of a hospital in Milawi, and proceeds from the sales of Lee’s knitted sets will allow the refurbishment and shipment of a piece of medical equipment for a hospital in Milawi. Lee was quick to agree, and has been knitting in earnest to ensure that she has the donation ready in time.

Tyler enjoys a light moment with Korki the Clown

Corporation of Delta CAO George Harvie, Steven Mah, Anita Sihota and Ralph Davis

Steven showing off the “Canada 150” themed keepsakes

Jodi, Mary Ann and Vivian

Tony Schmand Memorial Award recipients: Graham Farina, David Lebedovich and Reid Parkes

Janice Womersley Friendship Award recipients: Eliza Lee and Emily Nelsen

Life Skills classes kick off with new content in September!

Eliza knits for a cause

About Life Skills

DCLS Life Skills program delivers a night school-based education that helps participants build practical new skills and raise their knowledge of important topics. Night school classes are held twice a week at two DCLS Community Support Centres.

Jana uses different tools to help Alexis learn money skills

DCLS AGM September 27, 2017DCLS Resource Centre 6:00pm

Save the Date!

A close up of Eliza’s donated work

Eliza knits while sharing stories about her donations